Hurricane Milton Causes Major Damage Across Florida: Millions Without Power
TAMPA, Fla. – On Thursday, Hurricane Milton swept across Florida, causing massive destruction from the Gulf of Mexico to the Atlantic Ocean. The storm knocked out power for millions of people, flooded neighborhoods, destroyed homes, tore the roof off a sports stadium, and even brought down a crane onto an office building.
In downtown Tampa, strong winds knocked down traffic lights, pulled signs out of the ground, and blew construction barriers across the streets. Part of a building’s brick wall also fell, blocking a road. Tampa Bay avoided a big storm surge, but a reverse surge pushed water away from the shoreline. Experts warned that the water would return, bringing life-threatening dangers.
Milton hit Florida’s west coast late Wednesday as a Category 3 hurricane, with winds of 120 mph. By early Thursday, it had weakened to a Category 1 storm with winds of 85 mph near Cape Canaveral. Tornadoes caused by the storm led to the deaths of two people in a retirement community in Fort Pierce. By Thursday morning, more than 3.2 million homes and businesses were without electricity.
Tampa, St. Petersburg, and Clearwater experienced flash floods after receiving over 16 inches of rain. The storm hit land in Siesta Key, south of Tampa, just two weeks after Hurricane Helene caused severe damage across Florida and other states.